The Centennial Hall (Polish: Hala Stulecia; formerly Hala Ludowa, People's Hall, German: Jahrhunderthalle) is a historic building in Wrocław, Poland. It was constructed according to the plans of architect Max Bergin 1911–1913, when the city was part of the German Empire. Max Berg designed Centennial Hall to serve as a multifunctional structure to host "exhibitions, concerts, theatrical and opera performances, and sporting events."[1]

Former namesHala LudowaLocationWrocław, Lower Silesia, PolandOperatorCity Hall Company Ltd. of WrocławCapacityboxing: 11,000 handball: 8,500 basketball: 10,000 volleyball: 10,000

Broke ground1911Built1913Opened20 May 1913ArchitectMax BergMain contractorsDyckerhoff & Widmann AG (Dywidag)

Official nameCentennial Hall in WrocławTypeCulturalCriteriai, ii, ivDesignated2006 (30th session)Reference no.1165State PartyPolandRegionEurope and North America

The building and surroundings is frequently visited by tourists and the local populace. It lies close to other popular tourist attractions, such as the Wrocław Zoo, the Japanese Garden, and the Pergola with its Multimedia Fountain.

As an early landmark of reinforced concretearchitecture, the building became one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments(Pomnik historii), as designated April 20, 2005, together with the Four Domes Pavilion, the Pergola, and the Iglica. Its listing is maintained by the National Heritage Board of Poland. It was also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006.

It was in the Silesian capital of Breslau on 10 March 1813 where King Frederick William III of Prussia called upon the Prussian and German people in his proclamation An Mein Volk to rise up against Napoleon's occupation. In this proclamation he created the award of the Iron Cross, which features in the Architecture of this structure. In October of that year, at the Battle of Leipzig, Napoleon was defeated.

Designed with a Germanic Iron Cross within the Lantern structure of the superior dome (at the centre of the structure), a prominent visible feature of the Architecture, the centre of the structure was shrouded by the communist party until the fall of communism in Poland.[2] Photos taken looking up at the centre of the structure without the fabric covering clearly show the Iron Cross motif. See Photo of the centre of the dome

The opening of the hall was part of the celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of the battle, hence the name. Breslau's municipal authorities had vainly awaited state funding and ultimately had to defray the enormous costs out of their own pockets. The landscaping and buildings surrounding the hall were laid out by Hans Poelzig were opened on 20 May 1913 in the presence of Crown Prince William of Hohenzollern. The grounds include a huge pond with fountains enclosed by a huge concrete pergola in the form of half an ellipse. Beyond this, to the north, a Japanese gardenwas created. The Silesian author Gerhart Hauptmann had specially prepared a play Festspiel in deutschen Reimen, however the mise-en-scène by Max Reinhardt was suspended by national-conservative circles for its antimilitaristic tendencies.